2016 Kia Rio: What’s Changed
There wasn’t much fanfare when the 2016 Kia Rio was introduced during the 2015 Chicago Auto Show, and that lack of excitement seemed understandable. After all, the 2016 model was going to remain in the brand’s current third generation, and car enthusiasts didn’t expect many changes from last year’s car.
After taking a look at the initial specs for the 2016 Rio, it would initially appear that these enthusiasts were correct regarding the lack of change. The horsepower (138), torque (123 and engine size (1.6L/97 Regular Unleaded I-4) all remained the same. The one slight change was the slight increase in fuel economy, as highway miles per gallon increased from 37 to 38.
_You’d be doing yourself a great disservice by solely focusing on the specs, however. The 2016 Kia Rio will feature a number of alterations, including changes to the interior and exterior. Take a look for yourself in the post below. When you’re finished reading, you’ll be itching to visit your local Kia dealers in Miami … _
The biggest (notable) change in the 2016 model will be the redesigned front and rear bodywork. A more “horizontally styled” front lower bumper and a new grille would give the Rio more “visual width,” according to Joe Bruzek of Cars.com . Ironically, the car’s width doesn’t change from 2015 to 2016, as the car’s length is the only exterior measurement to see any chances (.01 inch longer).
Kia took a feature common in plenty of subcompact cars, adding horizontal slats to the fog-light housings. While the feature won’t do much to change the car’s functions, it certainly gives the Rio more of a sports car look.
Meanwhile, Kia has also added sound-reducing materials into the body of their car. This will help eliminate “noise, vibration, and harshness qualities,” as Bruzek explains. We’ve seen plenty of other manufactures beginning to add this feature to their vehicles, and the technology has consistently been praised for it’s functionality. Kia clearly recognized this and decided to take advantage.
Among the other improvements include new colors (particularly Urban Blue and Digital Yellow) and updated trim levels.
There is one other slight change, and it comes in the price of the car. The 2016 Kia Rio has an MSRP of $14,165, which is a $175 increase over last year’s starting price. Unsurprisingly, the Rio should remain on AutoTrader.com’s list of cheapest new cars, regardless of the slight price increase.
Is your mind made up? For an additional $200, you can buy a brand new Kia Rio… with notable changes. Now you should be prepared for your next trip to Miami Lakes Automall, and based on past experiences , you could be driving out of the lot in your new Rio as soon as possible!
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